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While he was far from a household name when he passed away in September, 2003 at the tender age of forty, guitarist Shawn Lane was considered something of a god within fusion circles. Starting out professionally at the age of fifteen in the unlikely context of the '70s Southern Rock outfit Black Oak Arkansas, he quickly refashioned the band into more of a jazz-rock affair by the mid-'80s, more akin to Return to Forever than the Allman Brothers. When the ...

Time is the Enemy was assembled during a particularly productive period for the trio of Jonas Hellborg, Shawn Lane, and Jeff Sipe. It was recorded live at various unidentified locations around the world during 1996. Other recordings surrounding this original 1997 release, now remastered, include the live Temporal Analogs of Paradise , also recently remastered. As a set, these two recordings document the brilliant improvisatory empathy held by these three fusion experts. Sadly, the remastering and release of Time is ...

Shawn Lane was a dear friend of mine and though he wasn't a household name outside the world of fusion and prog-rock, the impact he had on guitarist around the world was profound. His contribution to music can only be understood by listening to his collective works which crossed many genres. An endless learner, a passionate reader and a keen observer, he always appreciated the good in everything. He was a musician first, then ...

One could conceivably reason that Jonas Hellborg's Temporal Analogues of Paradise was merely a retro exercise in mid-'70s flabby musical excess, as the live release, recorded in Europe in 1995, includes only two, 25-minute plus pieces. Having listened to hours of such music, I would characterize this disc a bit differently. These two long pieces come closest, in an electric way, of approximating Keith Jarrett's Köln Concert.

Each, in rather similar ways, allows improvisation to unfold patiently and carefully, never ...

Recorded during a live appearance in Mainz, Germany and composed by bassist Jonas Hellborg with Shawn Lane, the program asks the question, Is modern music really a universal language, or does one musical persona differ too much from the next?"

How do hard rockers fit into a Jazz scene? How do Country & Western or R&B singers manage? Can sidemen feel somewhat comfortable in any situation? Hellborg, a veteran artist with over 20 album releases, wanted to explore ...

Memphis guitarist and composer Shawn Lane continually blurs the lines between solo composer, guitar hero, and fusion improvisationalist. Lane may be the best unknown fusion guitarist, or the most musical guitar shredder," or simply a gifted guitarist, pianist, and composer whose anonymity masks his impressive versatility and talent.

Instrumental guitar fans know Lane's work from his 1992 solo album Powers of Ten, on which Lane wrote all the music and (on one of the two released versions) played all the ...